


Strong

by chaoticism



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Could be platonic, M/M, could be romo, take this how you will
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-29
Updated: 2017-10-29
Packaged: 2019-01-26 04:45:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 858
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12549208
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chaoticism/pseuds/chaoticism
Summary: What if Will hadn't remembered Mike?FOR LANA





	Strong

_I can’t breathe._

 

The room with white walls and what felt like twenty square feet was filled with people— doctors, if that really was what they were. Mike didn’t know, but they seemed deadset on helping Will so he hadn’t questioned them.

 

But he stood there, feeling a weight on his chest– a block in his lungs; He felt like he couldn’t breathe.

 

It wasn’t just because of how crowded it felt in the room, but because of how his world was getting flipped around for the second time.

 

Mrs. Byers stood there, shaking as she gripped the bar on the side of the bed with Chief Hopper behind her. With every passing moment she seemed more and more on the verge of tears, but she stayed strong—for Will.

 

That was exactly what Mike was trying to do.

 

The old man—doctor Owens, he thought his name was, moved his seat closer to Will’s bed and Mike held his breath. Will didnt deserve this, he didn’t deserve anything that’d happened to him in the last year. He’d been through so much and now it was happening all over again.

 

Mike stood there, looking at his friend— his best friend. Will’s skin was paler than normal, the bags underneath his eyes were much darker, his lips were chapped, his once vibrant green eyes were staring straight at the wall behind him and they seemed darker…

 

Not in a way that made Will seem angry, but in a way that it seemed like the color of his eyes were changing.

 

“Alright, do you know your name?” Doctor Owens leaned forward. Will’s eyes blinked for the first time in what felt like hours to Mike. The small boy turned his head to look at the old man and blinked again. Mike didn’t notice he was shaking until he felt his hand on his leg.

 

_Calm down. Be strong. Do it for Will._

 

“Will,” His voice came out hoarse and Mike tried to hide the fact that he winced. “Full name.” Doctor Owens insisted.

“William Byers.” He spoke louder than before and Mike took a step forward. _William Alistair Byers._

 

Mike remembered when Will’d told him that. He remembered how jealous he got because he got stuck with the disgusting name Michael _Theodore_ Wheeler. He remembered Will’s eye brightening when Mike told him.

 

Will’s eyes didn’t do that anymore.

 

“Do you know… Do you know who I am?” Owens went on and Will shut his eyes before answering: “A doctor,” More questioning than stating it. Doctor Owens gave him a strange look that made Mike break out into a cold sweat. It was ok, Will had the best memory out of the party. It’ll come back to him for sure.

 

“Have we met before?”

 

“I don’t remember,” Will shook his head and Mike felt his stomach churn nervously.

 

_It’s ok, he just met Doctor Owens a few months ago. It’s fine._

 

The doctor hummed. “You don’t remember me?”

 

Will only shook his head.

 

“Okay,” The man breathed as he straightened his back in the chair. Mike’s heart was beating so harshly he was sure everyone else could hear it. _He wouldn’t forget me, right? There’s no way. I’m his best friend and he’s mine. We’ve known each other for so long, he couldn’t have forgotten me. Not after everything—_

 

“How about… this guy here?” He pointed to Mike and his heart stopped.

 

Will slowly turned his head to look at Mike, and _God,_ Mike wished he’d take that dumb ass blank expression off his face.

 

Smile. Cry. Get anry. Do _something._

 

“Know who that is?”

 

Will stayed silent and Mike felt ready to faint.

 

“He’s…” Will drifted off and Mike’s expression. _Come on, buddy. Come on._

 

“S’alright, take your time.” He gestured and Mike almost glared at the man.

 

“That’s…” It was on the tip of his tongue. Will recognized the boy’s dark brown curls, his eyes, his face, he knew the boy, but what was his name?

 

“I-I don’t– I don’t know.” Will forced out of his raw throat and Mike felt his heart fall into his stomach.

 

Mrs. Byers’ eyes widened as she looked between Mike and her son. Chief Hopper did the same. Mike sayed frozen, feeling the his eyes burn at the arrival of his tears and not knowing what else to do.

 

“I’m Mike,” His voice came out softer than he wanted it to. He couldn’t get it any louder without it breaking. The eyes in the room were either on Mike or Will.

 

Will only shook his head and he felt a sick. Why didn’t he remember that? Why didn’t memories of this boy come back, why didn’t this make sense?

 

Will kept his eyes on him— this boy that he knew was apart of his life— yet he felt nothing.

 

And Mike, well he was hurt. He was angry.

 

Not at Will— no, of course not.

 

_This isn’t his fault._

 

Whatever had taken over his best friend was feeding on his memories. That _thing_ was the reason Will couldn’t remember Mike.

 

And he was going to do everything he could to get it out.

**Author's Note:**

> find me on tumblr where i write more shitty oneshots: bitozier  
> and on twitter where i yell about everything: ioserscib


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